Pressure paintbrush



Patented Feb. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PRESSURE PAINTBRUSH RobertfTaylor Eppcrson, Ponca City, Okla.

Application January'zl, 1948, Serial No. 3,575

4 Glaims..

l; The. present invention relates to certain DBL. and useful. improvements in apressure-type paint. brush, and the principal object. or the invention is. to. structurally, functionally and otherwise.

improve upon similarly.- constructed fountain. brushes. presently known to me.

It is a matter of common knowledge, to persons. skilled in the art to which the invention relates, that various styles and forms of fountain brushes of pressure types have been devised and are in use. In carrying out the principles of the instant invention, I have devised and constructed a fountain brush which, while basically and otherwise similar to known styles, is characterized by features of refinement and improvement which, collectively considered; serve to provide a brush which is susceptible of easier handling and control", is not too heavy for con venient and practical use, and is a better allaround brush.

More specifically; one improvement has to do with a satisfactory cut-off and regulating valve, which has dual thumb-buttons which are so placed and situated in relation to the brush handle and head that they may be selectively utilized to best advantage and toprevent undue tiring of the users hand.

A further object of the invention is to pro-- vide a well-constructed multiple-branched manifold, which is connected with the valve, which is provided with individual flow control screws and which distributes the paint to the bristles with requisite nicety, whereby to make for uniform painting accomplishments.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in addition tothe aforementioned features, rubber or equivalent flexible paint delivery tubeswhich are suitably harnessed together and which serve to provide the requisite supply while insuring, at the same, time, expected flexibility of the applicator and brushing bristles.

In addition, novelty is thought to reside in the stated arrangement of tubes whose outer ends terminate inwardly of the. corresponding outer ends of the main bristles, said terminal ends having auxiliary bristles which intimately intermingle with the main bristles; in providing better coaction of the tubes with said main bristles.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the. following description and the. accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the. drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in section and elevation, illuustrating a paint brush constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an edge elevation, observing the structure of Figure l in a direction from right to left.

Figure 3 is a. detailed view, in section and ele'-' vation, showing the valve means.

Figure 4: is; an elevational. view, showing the tube; retention and harnessing means.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed section. on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings; by distinguishing reference numerals and accompanying lead lines, the head or the brush is of suitable ma.- terial and is hollow, andis denoted by the. numeral i. It includes an appropriate handle 8. The bristles, which are more or less conventional, are denoted by the numeral 9 and are anchored in an appropriate base or mount in of syntheticresin or plastic, secured by a rim II to the head, as shown in Figure 1.

Reference being bad now to the cut-off valve disclosed in Figure 3, this comprises an appropriate bulbous-shaped casing I2, having an internal partition I 3 provided with a valve seat for the valve element l4. The latter is provided with an operating stem l5 operable through a packing gland It provided on the lateral branch. H. The valve element on the left. of the partition I3 is provided with a socket l8, housing a coiled spring. I9 which is held in place by a screw-plug 2B, which serves to normally seat and thus close the valve. The valve casing is situated in the head, as shown in Figure l, and a neck 2| at one end serves to accommodate the pressure paint supply line, 22... this receives paint under pressure from an appropriate source of supply (not shown). The neck 23 at the opposite end of the valve casing is connected with an appropriate connection provided, in the distributor manifold 24. This embodies a series of three distributing branches 25, having associated therewith appropriate flow regulating controls 26., As shown in Figure 5, these are simple screws to cut down or increase. the flow, as desired.

The aforementioned delivery tubes are denoted by the numeral 21, and are the same in construction, and they are placed at equally spaced distances and longitudinally embedded in the mainbristles. They are connected at their intake ends with the. branches 25 and have their outer ends terminating short. of the tips 28 of: the main bristles. At these. points, I provide auxiliary bristles; 29-, which are properly bunched and se cured around the discharge end of each tube, and the bristles 29 terminate even with the tips 28'. In fact, they cooperate intimately with the main bristles in the paint application step, in an obvious manner. The tubes are, preferably of rubber or equivalent material and are interconnected in. spaced relation, by thev harness means 30, shown in Figure 4. surrounding the respective tubes, and provided In, practice,

This means comprises collars 3i.

3 with eyes 32 connected by assembling and retaining links 33.

As before specified, pressure-type fountain paint brushes are not new. As a matter of fact, the prior art teaches the provision of brushes equipped with manually controlled cut-01f valves, paint distributing means and delivery tubes for feeding the distributed paint into the brush bristles. I

Compared to brushes, in this category of invention known to me, the present invention is novel in that a triple-branched manifold is connected directly to a control and cut-off valve and serves to accommodate flexible rubber distributing tubes, there being regulating or equivalent members 26 in the manifoldfor cooperation with the flanges. the outer ends of the'tubes 21 terminating inwardly of the main bristles' is a featured improvem'ent. Inaddition, the use of rubber tubes and the harness means 30 of Figure 4, is worthy of studied attention.

A feature of greater importance is the provision of an actuator 34 on the valve stem 15, with presser rods 35, connected to opposite ends of the actuator, especially by way of shouldered members 36 which coact with'the apertured wall of the shell or head 1 to assist in smooth control of the valve means. In addition, the rods are provided with selectively usable thumb-buttons 31 and 3B which are located at points of vantage, and-make it possible forthe user to operate one button with the thumb, and the other with the palm of the hand. As previously stated, this dual valve control feature avoids unduetiring from repeated thumb operations;

arrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. .In a fountain paint brush of the class described, a handle equipped hollow head, flexiblemain painting bristles connected with and carried by said head, a paint delivering, regulating and cutoff valve mounted wholly for manual operation within the confines of said head, means connected to and supplying .the valve with paint under pressure, a plurality of spaced parallel flexible paint supplying and distributing tubes movably embedded in said bristles, manifold means located essentially in said head and operatively connecting the inner ends of the tubes with said cutoff valve, the outer ends of said tubesbeing comparatively flaccid and terminatingat points spaced inwardly from the tip ends of said bristles, and individual batches of auxiliary bristles respectively mounted on thebuter discharge ends of said tubes and embedded in the main bristles and terminating at their outer ends in flush relation with the tips of said main bristles, a collar surrounding the intermediate portion of each rubber tube, and means'flexibly connecting the respective collars to one another to permit the tubes to yield both singly and collectively in conformity with the flexuous movements of said main bristles.

The use of the auxiliary bristles 29 on' 4 2. A paintbrush of the class described com prising a hollow head, paint applying bristles connected to said head, said head being provided with a handle, a manifold mounted within the confines of the head, tubes connected at their inner ends with the manifold and projectin for "operation into the bristles, a bulbous-shaped cutoff valve mounted within the confines of said hol- 'low head and including a casing operatively con nected with said manifold, a supply line con nected with the casing,a valve seat in the casing, a spring closed valve operable in said casing against the seat and including a stem, said stern being operable within the confines of said head, an actuator member carried by the valve stem, a rod connected at one end with the actuator and operable through an opening in the head'ahd" provided with a thumb button, a second rod connected with the actuator and operable through an opening in the head and provided on the exterior of the head with a second button, said buttons being selectively actuable.

. 3. A paint brush'of the class describedcomprising a hollow head, paint applying bristles connected to said head, said head being provided with'a handle, a manifold mounted within the confines of the head, tubes connected at their inner ends with the manifold and projectin for operation into the bristles, a bulbous-shaped cutoff valve mounted within the confines of said hollow head and including a casing operatively connected with said manifold, a supply line connected with the casing, a valve seat in the casing, a spring closed valve operable against the seat and including a stem, said stem being operable in saidcasing and within the confines of said head, an actuator member carried by the valve stem, a rod connected at one end with the actuator and operable through an opening in the head'and provided with a thumb button, a second rod connected with the actuator and operable through an opening in the head and provided on the exterior of the head with a second button, said buttons being selectively actuable, said rods being provided intermediate their ends with shoulders and the shoulders being in abutting engagementwith the apertured portions of the head,in the manner and for the purpose described. v,

4. The structure specified in claim 1, together with individual valve controlling rods slidably mounted in a portion of said head, said rods being operatively connected at inner ends to the valve. and having their opposite outer ends projecting to the exterior of said head and provided with individual selectively usable buttons.

ROBERT TAYLOR EPPERSON.

' REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Eisner et a1. Nov. 23, 1948 

